Electrical annunciator



(No Model.)

W-.-E. ORAM. ELECTRICAL ANNUNGIATOR.

No. 447,568. Pateni zed Mar. 3,1891.

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.4 INVENTUR.

VILLIAM E. CRAM, OF CAMBRIDGE,

FFICEQ PATENT ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T O ED\VIN S. BEOKFORD, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRICAL ANNUNCIATOR.

.BPIECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 447,558, dated March 3, 1891.

Application filed May 23,1890,

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ILLIAM E. CRAM, 'of

Cambridge,.in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Ann uneiators, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of my invention to provide such improvements in electrical annunciators as will permit of the operation of the same with a low degree of energy as compared with that heretofore employed, and at the same time insure the retention of the raised"drops against displacement by jarring and other effects attendant upon many devices upon which annunciators are used, as, for instance, upon elevators and steamboats.

It is also the object of the invention to provide an annunciator which shall be of shallow eonstructionthat is, of a form or construction which shall occupy a minimum amount of space.

It is also the object of my invention to provide such improvements in annunciators as will simplify their construction and increase their usefulness and efficiency, all as is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this specification,

' the same letters designating the same parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of myimproved annunciator incased. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the invention, the front of the casing being removed, and the circuitwires connecting with the eleetro-magnets being omitted. Fig. 3 is a front view of a drop and its adjuncts, showing-also a modification. Fig. at is a sectional plan of Fig. 3, taken on the line 4 et of said figure. Fig. 5 is a side or end View of Fig. 4, the modified part being omitted.

In carrying out my invention as many annunciator-drops and actuating mechanisms therefor as may be required for the case in hand are used, constructing each of the said devices by providing a frame a, consisting of a piece of brass or other suitable material ca Serial No. 852,820. (No man pable of being secured to the back board or plate I) of the casing, and having angular projecting. parts 0 c, which support vertical guide-rods cl for guiding the drop 9 in its movements. The drop 2 consists of a plate having ears ff, provided with holes through which the rods (1 pass.

. g designates an electro-magnet, the armature h of which is arranged to normally engage an extension 2', connected with the ear f of the drop e, and support the said drop in a raised position, the said armature being pressed away from the pole of the magnet by a light springj.

The armature his provided with an angular base part k, which normally rests upon the lower end of the springj, the latter extending between the said base part 7; and the base Z of the support for the electro-magnet g. The armature is also provided with inwardly-extending ears m, by means of which it is pivoted to cars n, extending upwardly from the sides of the basepart Z.

, hen the magnetis energized, as it may be by closing an electric circuit connected with the electro-magnet g, it overcomes the stress of springj and is drawn into contact with the adjacent pole of the electro-magnet, and so drawing the said armature away from the extension '5 of the drop 6, permitting the latter to fall to the lower ends of the guide-rods (Z. After the circuit is broken the spring j will press the armature it back to its normal position, when the drop 6 maybe raised until the extension-piece i passes the upper end of the armature (pressing it slightly inward in so doing) and dropping back rests again upon the same, all as will be readily understood by an inspection of the drawings.

As many of the devices constructed as aforesaid as may be needed are properly secured in place upon a base-board bin such manner that the electro-n1agnets 9 will extend longitudinally toward the sides of the base-board and so that the slide-rods cZ will be in a vertical position.

Various means may be provided for raising the drops. As herein shown, I have provided a vertically-sliding frame having rods 0,provided with laterally-projecting pins 1),

adapted to engage the lowered or fallen drops (2 and raise the samenntiltheprojectingpieces '1' pass above the upper end of the pit'oted armatures 71 when the said sliding frame may be lowered by gravity.

The springj may be constructed of brass or other non-magnetic material, so as to insulate the armature h from the base Z and prevent a magnetization of the latter.

If desired, the armature it may be provided wit h a laterally-proj ecting screw-threaded rod Fig. 3, upon which is arranged a weighted nut, so that the latter maybe adjusted. nearer to or farther from the armature, in accordance with the force with which it is desired to hold the armature away from the adjacent pole of the eleetro-magnet.

The springj is connected by means of solder or in other suitable way with the armature h at the angular point .2, so that the weight 1-, when adjusted outward on the rod (1, acts upon the spring, through the medium of the armature, to press the latter away from the core or pole of the electro-magnet, and when the said weight is adjusted inward it acts upon the spring in a contrary way. The degree of force with which the armature is pressed away from the core corresponds with the hold of the armature upon the extension of the drop and the degree of tension required to attract the armature to the core.

By arranging the electro-magnets so that the same may extend horizontally and longitudinally toward the sides of the base-board a minimum amount of space is occupied.

It is to be observed that though the armature is delicately poised or pivoted, so that it may be attracted to the pole of the electromagnet by the expenditure of light energy, the said armature supports the drop very securely, so that ordinary jarring and vibrations of the frame, such as it would be subject to on a steamship or elevator, will not displace the drop. It is also to be noted that the several parts of each device, aside from the electro-magnet, which is of common construction, can be easily and cheaply man ufactured, so that the annunciator can be constructed at quite low cost.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form and arrangement of parts comprising my invention without departing from the nature or spirit thereof.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and explained a way of constructing and using the same; I declare that what I claim is 1. An annunciator comprising in its construction a plurality of electro-magnets extending horizontally and longitudinally to ward the sides of their base-board, pivoted armatures at the ends of the said electro-magnets having their axes perpendicular to the cores of said electro magnets, gravity drops arranged in a plane parallel to the cores of said magnets and provided with extensions to engage the upper end of the armatnres when the latter are in their normal position, slide-rods for guiding the drops in their movements, and a lifting-rod for said drops, as set forth.

2. In an annunciator, the combinatiomwith a series of gravity-drops provided with extensions, of the electro-magnets having each an armature pivoted at one end thereof and a spring interposed between the armature and the base of the electro-magnet and connected to said armature, substantially as set forth, said extensions of the gravity-drops being designed to engage the upper ends of said armatures when the latter are in their normal position, as stated.

3. The combination, with the frame a, having angular projecting parts 0 c, of the elec: tro-magnet, its support Z, provided with ears n, the armature h, having the earsm pivoted to the ears 'n, the guide-rods (l, and drop e, provided with the extension i, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 20th day of May, A. D. 1890.

VILLIAM E. CRAM.

YVitnesses:

ARTHUR W. CRossL Y, A. D. HARRISON. 

